


Behind the Curtain

by tatterwitch



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Actor Castiel, Actor Dean, Alternate Universe - High School, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pining, Nerd Dean, Punk Castiel, Theater Club
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-04
Updated: 2015-09-04
Packaged: 2018-04-19 00:53:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4726661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tatterwitch/pseuds/tatterwitch





	Behind the Curtain

Dean was going out of his mind.

Shit. Of course this was going to be how his life ended; short and with a heart-attack. And it was all because of some newfangled twist on a classic play for theater-club. 

Dean had been ecstatic when he checked the rolls sheet and saw his name penned as one of the male leads and love interests. That was, until he’d run his finger down one spot and saw his doom scrawled there.

 _Castiel Novak_.

Dean had never crashed down from a euphoric high that fast before. His stomach churned. His heart felt like it was going to be beat out of his chest. Sweat beaded on his skin. 

Shit. Of course he’d get cast to act like he was head-over-heels in love with Castiel Novak. 

Castiel, witty, rebellious, and big-hearted Castiel. Castiel who made Dean’s insides flip and his brain turn to mush. Castiel who had starred in ninety-nine percent of Dean’s late-night fantasies and hazy afternoon daydreams. Castiel who had been Dean’s crush since that first day in theater-club.

The boy with messy dark hair, bold blue eyes and a give-’em-hell attitude had stood before the new members and transformed into a whole other person as he performed a piece from Othello. 

Dean had fallen, and fallen hard, that day. And he’d only dug himself deeper.

Castiel was way out of his league. He was a grade above Dean and one of the best students in the school. He was clever and beneath his bad-boy persona, a genuinely kind and sweet person. 

They were complete opposites, really.

Dean was a complete nerd; into science fairs, comic book club, math club, and extra credit. He followed every rule to the tee. He’d joined theater-club because, when he acted, he got to be someone else. He got to be a fearless warrior, a madman, a villain, a rebel without a cause. He didn’t have to be himself, shy and quiet and nerdy.

But this…This was going to be on a whole other level. To act like he was in love with Cas while simultaneously acting like he totally wasn’t…Yeah. 

Dean was completely and utterly fucked.

Charlie, his best friend and the brains of the theater-club’s tech support, was positively over-the-moon about the casting. If she made any more suggestions or gestures to him, Dean was gonna get some of that fake blood in the effects cabinet and squirt it on her shirt.

Of course, play practice went just as expected.

Dean had zero problem memorizing his lines. It was just when it came time to deliver them that he had issues. And, again, Castiel Novak was the reason for every one of those issues.

It was the way Cas became soft and vulnerable. It was the way his big blue eyes shone in the stage lights and watered with false tears when Dean’s character spurned his affections. It was the way Cas ruffled his dark hair when Dean stood close, long fingers rubbing over the back of his neck. It was the way Cas sidled closer during breaks and tried to give Dean pointers; arm and knee brushing Dean’s. It was the way he looked every time they fake kissed; eyes heavy-lidded and wide pink lips parted like he was actually going to kiss Dean. It was fucking Castiel Novak.

It was during one of those fateful fake-kissing scenes during a practice that Dean nearly met his demise.

He’d been trying so, so hard to ignore the way Cas’s eyes got soft and warm. The way his jaw felt in Dean’s hand; sharp and rough with a hint of stubble, the dark mess of his hair soft beneath his fingertips. The way he always hitched in a breath when their faces got close.

Dean had leaned a little too close and a fake kiss had become very real.

It’d just been a little touch of their lips; soft pressing against soft and breath intermingling. Dean’s mind had abruptly shorted out.

That was, until someone hooted off-stage.

The loud noise echoed off of the walls as Dean jolted away, stammering an apology. 

Castiel’s cheeks were flushed, his eyes wide and glassy. The front of his band t-shirt was rumpled from where Dean had grabbed it.

Dean ran off of the stage and outside, not stopping until he was half-way around the school and under the bleachers. There, he dropped into a sitting position and buried his face in his hands. 

Holy. Fucking. Shit.

He’d gone and done it. He’d totally fucked up. Now Cas was gonna think that he was a sad, pathetic little freak with an unrequited crush. Shit. He’d probably ask to be replaced with another actor. And that was if Cas didn’t file a complaint.

Dean groaned into his hands, scrubbing hard at the heat of mortification.

He missed the sound of motorcycle boots tamping down grass and gravel.

A warm hand touched his shoulder, making him sit up fast. His head cracked against the underside of the bleachers with a loud  _clang_.

“Ooh. That sounded like it hurt. Want me to kiss it better?”

Oh, God. Please just let the ground swallow him up.

The voice was low and husky, completely and utterly familiar. 

Dean raised his head slower this time, hand palming the screaming spot on the back of his skull. 

Castiel was crouched beside him. His hair was mussed from the wind and his cheeks were still pink. The row of piercings down his ear winked in the slats of sunlight that made it through the bleachers. His blue eyes were gleaming with teasing light.

Dean felt himself turn red at the words. He tried to stutter out another apology, tongue tripping over itself.

Castiel dropped down beside him with a rueful shake of his head.

“It’s fine, Dean. Don’t worry about it.” The older boy’s head ducked as he picked at a hole in the knee of his dark jeans. 

Dean relaxed marginally.

“So you…You’re not mad at me or freaked out?”

“Nope.” That mop of black hair shook back and forth.

“But I…I kissed you, Cas.”

Castiel raised his head, blue eyes a little bemused.

“And? You fishing for compliments?”

Dean shook his head vigorously.

“I just thought that you…I might have made you uncomfortable. I’m sorry.”

“Dean, the only reason I’m uncomfortable right now is because my pants are suddenly way too tight.”

Dean blinked, mind screeching to a halt after a moment of confusion and a droll look from Castiel. He did a remarkable impression of a fish out of water. Cas looked all too please with himself as Dean tried to figure out a proper reply.

What did you say to a guy when he told you that you gave him a boner?

“Huh. I kinda like seeing you all tongue-tied, Winchester. You’re pretty cute all blushy and shy.”

That, naturally, only made Dean turn redder. He managed to finally put words together.

“You like…Me?” Wow. Smooth, Dean.

“The pants-popper gave me away, huh?”

Dean scowled.

“Would you just answer me straight. No! Do not go making another joke!”

Cas squinted at him before sighing and ducking his head again. There was a long moment of silence before he raised it. When he did, his eyes were wide and earnest.

“That first get-to-know-you activity we did during your first year in theater. You looked so shy and quiet, a total goody-two-shoes until you stood up and became freaking Maximus Decimus Meridius. Shit. That was one of the hottest things I’ve ever seen. But you were out of my league, Dean. You were a good kid and I was the trampy theater kid. Holy hell, I would’ve given anything to have figured this whole thing out sooner.”

Dean swallowed. Shit. That’d been almost two years ago. Cas had crushed on him since then?

“Same.” Dean muttered. “That first meeting you did Othello and, well, I don’t think I’ve ever gotten over you.”

Cas took his words in, a small smile playing over his face.

“Huh.” He grunted before twisting around to completely face Dean.

“What?” Dean asked.

“I don’t know about you but I think that first kiss back there didn’t really count.”

Was he…? 

“Are you insinuating that we should repeat it?”

Cas let his lashes fall into a sultry gaze as he leaned closer.

“Ooh. Do use big words on me, Dean. And yeah, that’s totally what I was getting at. Although there are other things about you that I’d love to get at-”

Dean leaned forward and silenced him with his lips. 

 


End file.
